The irony in the title is that while the 1987 Robbin Williams starrer was based on the US war in Vietnam during the 60s and 70s, this post is about a 21st Century trade pact where the former is still trying to “make the world more like them“. Let me explain. The United States is one of the few… Continue reading Part II: Good morning, Vietnam!

The TPP is definitely the talk of the town. It’s mentioned everywhere. In newspaper op-eds to academic articles. You may have heard of it – a massive “free-trade” pact between 12 (majorly pacific-rim) countries, spearheaded by the United States. Apart from Vietnam, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members include countries like New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Peru and Mexico. The double-quotations around the… Continue reading Let’s talk about the TPP: Part I

The Transatlantic Trade Partnership has become the focal point of several debates recently. I’ll try and take up a post on them soon. Here’s the plot in brief: The story begins in 2005. Brunei, New Zealand, Chile and Singapore entered into the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPSEPA) to promote regional trade and increase development… Continue reading Clash of the Titans: Why China is miffed with the TPP